Is anything sacred in Hollywood?

With the number of franchises growing all the time, and remakes and reboots coming at us from every angle.  The question is, is anything sacred?  Will anything ever be spared the sequel, prequel, remake, reboot, re-imagination treatment?  If so, why?

That was the question that was discussed between myself and a friend after the release of the latest trailer for the Robocop reboot, due in February 2014:

Initially we were both very much against the idea of a Robocop reboot.  The original is without doubt a classic.  A film I could sit down and watch right now without thinking, "if only they were able to do this, or change that?".
Having seen the second trailer I'm warming slightly to the idea of a new Robocop.  Why?  It's becoming clear from Samuel L. Jackson's character's speech that the angle will be global unmanned warfare/policing.  This has grabbed my interest, and I would like to see where they go with it.  This 'finger on the button' style of disassociated warfare isn't new.  Whether it's warfare or just everyday living we've explored the idea of removing the human element.  We only have to look to Surrogates or I, Robot as examples here.  What I hope it adds to the Robocop reboot is a broadened horizon.  A more globalised element to the narrative that can only mean one thing, more spectacle.  For me, the simplicity of the story is what gives Robocop it's timeless quality.  So a global, 21st century facelift gives them somewhere to go with the reboot without having to tinker with the winning formula of the original.

When it comes to the question of what makes anything sacred?  Who knows.  In a time when we see Total Recall remade with nobody going to Mars, it's looking more and more like the answer is nothing.

The saviour of DC?

As we draw closer to the release of The Dark Knight Rises, speculation increases as to where Christopher Nolan will go after this.

There has been lots to say that whilst he will not be at the helm of any further Batman films, he will help produce future Batman reboots.  The current trend for reboots is something that I'm finding myself increasingly at odds with.  Take the recent 'reboot' of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  

I'm a big fan of the 2011 film, the book, and of David Fincher.  The problem being it's critical reception due to it's proximity to the original, had a damaging effect on it's box office performance.  This in turn has put a dampener on the subsequent sequels, in particular the turning off of Fincher.  Who has pretty much categorically ruled out a return to the chair for the remainder of the films.  The current news being that both sequels are due to be filmed back to back (starting in the autumn), for release in 2013.  I'm not holding my breath.

Back to Nolan.

I'm reading lots about plans for Nolan to be the saviour of the remainder of DC Comics character stable.  Most notably with a reboot of The Green Lantern (hence my earlier comment about reboots).  I'm not hugely opposed to a Green Lantern reboot, as the Ryan Reynolds outing was particularly awful, and as a character The Green Lantern deserves better.

What concerns me more is the possibility of Nolan getting caught in a black hole of comic book adaptations (which wouldn't be the end of the world, as I love comic book movies), ultimately detracting from other projects.  Nolan has the midas touch, and I love the variety and quality of his films.

One door that this does potentially open though, and one that is currently a hot topic out there, is the Justice League being brought to the big screen.

This I would love to see...